Book Teasers!

We just posted a bunch of book teasers/reviews that teens from Ms. Broeg's class at James Madison sent us!  If you would like to have a review posted, send it to us at youthservices@burlington.lib.ia.us!
Happy Reading!

Warriors

Title: Warriors

Author: Erin Hunter

Genre: Adventure

If you enjoy animals… and adventure, then this series would probably be perfect. The first book in this on-going series, Into the Wild tells the tale of a young kitten named Rusty as he makes the difficult decision to leave his soft life for the life of the Warrior. He leaves his best friend Smudge to join one of the four clans of the forest, Thunderclan. The medicine cat of the clan gets the prophecy: Fire alone can save the forest. The strange omen was accompanied by the vision of a shooting star. Rusty, as an apprentice of Thunderclan takes on the name ‘Firepaw’. He goes through training with friends Graypaw and Ravenpaw. But not everyone in Thunderclan is friendly to the ‘kittypet’. Ravenpaw carries the dark secret of his mentor and the mysterious murder of the clan’s deputy. Firepaw and Graypaw receive their Warrior Names. The young cat must face many challenges before he is truly one of Thunderclan. But will he survive the hardships of the clans when he is, after all, a kittypet?

This series would probably be best for those from late elementary school to maybe perhaps middle school, as the author grows with the books, the reader would as well. The books in this series are:

Warriors:

Into the Wild

Fire and Ice

Forest of Secrets

Rising Storm

A Dangerous Path

The Darkest Hour

Warriors: New Prophecy

Midnight

Moonrise

Dawn

Starlight

Twilight

Sunset

Warriors: The Power of Three

The Sight

Dark River

Outcast

Eclipse

Long Shadows

Sunset

Warriors: Omen of the Stars

The Fourth Apprentice

Fading Echoes

Night Whispers

Sign of the Moon (unreleased)

The Forgotten Warrior (unreleased)

There are also multiple Super Editions, Manga Books and Field Guides

Reviewed by: Tori T.– Grade 6

The House of Night Series

Title: The House of Night Series

 By: P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

The House of Night Series are books about an Oklahoma girl named Zoey Redbird, who is Marked to become a vampyre and has to go to a school called The House of Night. All vampyre fledglings have an outline of a sapphire-blue crescent moon embroidered on his or her forehead. Zoey’s moon, however, is completely filled in, as if she is an adult vampyre. And after she saves a “The Dark Daughters” from flesh eating ghosts that the High Priestess in training conjures on Halloween, she receives the tattoos of an adult vamp. Neferet, the current High Priestess and Zoey’s mentor, makes Zoey the new High Priestess in training after she kicks Aphrodite out of the Dark Daughters. But later in the series, Zoey realizes that Neferet is actually evil and is planning to start a war against humans. Zoey and her friends (Damien, Shaunee, Erin, Aphrodite, and the newest kind of vampye Stevie Rae.) must find a way to stop Neferet and save humanity.

I would recommend this book for students from grades 7^th to college. High school students would particularly enjoy this series because of the fast-paced, action-filled plot.

Reviewed by Rachel S. 7^th grade

Book 3 of The 39 Clues Books: The Sword Thief

Title: Book 3, 39 Clues: The Sword Thief

Author: Peter Lerangis

Genre: Mystery

This book takes place in Japan. Dan and Amy are just getting used to the fact that their family is the most powerful family in the world. They travel and almost make friends with Alistair Oh. They find out the clue isn’t where they thought it was. I recommend this book to 4^th through 8^th grades. I think you will enjoy this book, and if you can, the whole series! Do you think they can find the clue???

Reviewed By: Jared G.

The Host

Title:The Host

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Genre: Science Fiction

 This book focuses on a young adult who was caught by a type of soul called a seeker that captures humans for healers to perform an insertion. But when the inserted soul tries to take over the body the young adult, Melanie, refuses to let her body be taken over so easily and fights back. Melanie slowly releases memories to the soul in her mind controlling her. But Melanie won’t release any memories showing loved ones whereabouts until she’s sure she can trust this soul. All the memories being released to this soul are causing it to fall in love with Melanie’s love, Jared, and to care about and love Melanie’s younger brother, Jamie. This makes Melanie and this soul, wanderer, to be unwilling allies to find any survivors, hopefully Jared and Jamie.

  This book may be difficult for some people to read so I recommend it for 7^th grade to young adults.

Reviewed by: Madison O. 7^th  grade

The Giver

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: science fiction

The Giver is a story about a boy that gets chosen to receive memory from an elder in the community named the Giver.  The boy in this book goes through many problems to get to the powerful stage he is in. The boy’s adventure is dangerous and can be scary at times. At the end this boy will have more power than he knows and his journey will be long and difficult.  Do you think that any one could live in such a way as the community in this story?

I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries or adventures. This book could be for 6^th to 8^th grade readers with a higher reading level.

Reviewed by: Kyle M., 6^th grade

Tuck Everlasting

Title: Tuck Everlasting

Author: Natalie Babbit

Genre: fantasy, adventure

          Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live forever? Well you don’t have to wonder if you read this book! The Tucks are a small family of four. They found an unusual spring and they drank some of the water. I’m sure you can figure out what happened to them; they can never die! Not even if they fell off a cliff. One day, Winnie, a curious little girl finds the spring… If you want to find out what happened check out this book!

            I think anyone who likes fantasy books would like this. People from ages 9-109 would enjoy this, not just kids! If you read this I’m sure you’ll like it too, I did.

Reviewed by: Charissa S. 6^th grade 

Flipped

Title:  Flipped

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen

Genre: Realistic fiction

Flipped is an accurate title for this story because the dialogue goes back and fourth between the main characters, Brice and Juli. Juli Baker’s back yard is nothing but dirt and chicken poop. Some of her neighbors give her money for her eggs, but Juli loves Brice Loski so much; she gives him the eggs for free. But why is Brice secretly throwing the eggs in the garbage?

I recommend this book to middle school students, mainly girls. If you enjoy reading this book you may also like Scarlett, by Cathy Cassidy.

Reviewed by: Zoey H., 7^th grader

Heaven Looks a Lot like the Mall

Title: Heaven Looks a Lot like the Mall

Author: Wendy Mass

Genre: Fantasy, Suspenseful

Tessa gets knocked out by a dodge ball during gym and dies… or so she thinks! She wakes up in her hometown mall, her second home, and doesn’t know what’s happening. Is this heaven? Where is everyone? Tessa still has bloody hair and her gym clothes on. She falls asleep and wakes up in a doctor’s office. What’s going on? With visits from the boy with a drill bit in his head, she goes back through time to try to figure out who she is.

I recommend this book to students middle school age and older.  If you like malls and fantasies, you’ll like this book. It is very suspenseful and I read it in two days, it’s definitely a page-turner!

Reviewed by:

 Kassidy L., 7^th grader